


forces of nature against

by CherryFlan



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Desert Island Fic, Dimiclaude Exchange (Fire Emblem), M/M, Shipwrecks, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28040103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryFlan/pseuds/CherryFlan
Summary: After a shipwreck left Claude and Dimitri stranded on a deserted island, both have to find the means to keep on living.---Written for the Dimiclaude Mini Gift Exchange.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	forces of nature against

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quiverquill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quiverquill/gifts).



> Heeey, it's my first fic for this fandom! I'm so nervous and so late i'm so sorry hgjsdhglsj  
> English is not my first language so some stuff may sound weird, but still I hope you like it at least a little!!
> 
> Next chapter will come up soon!

When Claude found himself awake once again it was in an unknown land, far from the storm, far from their ship. His renewed breaths were now mostly rid from saltwater, rough but satisfactory--he was alive, having survived the indomitable force of nature. After that, everything that came could be considered a piece of cake. Only if it meant for himself, that is.

With a jolt of adrenaline he rose, dampened to the last tip of his hair, groggy from the twists and turns of the sea and a little dehydration. The sun was still up in the sky, but it’ll only be up for a couple or so more hours, he mused--how far did the storm toss them to to be that late, and will the rest of the crew find the same lucky fate he’s now facing or won’t they have such luck.

No. Claude was sure the crew was safe--- their _captain_ made sure of that. But speaking of that captain…

In the endless blue that stretched before him, some debris from their shipwreck was floating back to those shores. Maybe Claude will find him along that debris, he’s got to. So, running to a slightly higher place nearby to get a better view, Claude would search for that flaxen hair on that head that worried over everyone’s safety before its own.

Eventually, it wasn’t a golden crown of hair that got his eye, understandable because of the circumstances. But it was _him_ alright, wide bulk, jagged uniform. So, without a minute to spare, Claude ran again towards the ocean and swam to rescue that guy before it was too late.

Though, aside from them being acquaintances, why did Claude spend his own resources in saving someone besides himself? Well, if someone asked, he would tell it was an investment to a better survivability: the captain was strong and pretty used to the wild, and even though his eyepatch made him look like a pirate captain more than a regular ship captain, he was an innate leader. It would only be wise to have him by his side if he’s trying to keep himself alive. Aside from that, well…

They finally made it to the shore. The change from the limp body in his shoulders almost weightless in the water to being heavier than a sack of bricks the instant he stepped on land elicited grunts from Claude that made the other stir in his unconsciousness. Great sign. It wasn’t much before they collapsed on the sand, Claude making quick work of trying to bring back the captain--his acquaintance, his---friend--to the living.

There weren’t any hard bruises or broken bones, and the short breaths were a good sign, so Claude focused on making him stable. It was not much after that the blond started violently coughing up salt water, Claude making work of keeping him steady.

“Dimitri, are you okay?” Claude finally spoke, keeping the worry out of his voice. Dimitri’s coughing fit subsided and he finally got to breathe again, exhausted, before his one blue eye started opening. Claude couldn’t help holding his breath to Dimitri’s reaction, only to be chilled to the bone with his words:

“Claude… Have you come to haunt me as well?”

\---

It was soon to dusk when Claude finally got Dimitri to understand they were both alive and well and that they needed to find shelter soon. And it seemed to give the captain something to distract himself with, at least for a short time. Because when the night came and fatigue creeped through their bones, Dimitri’s mind was even more active. And the pacing came.

So maybe his investment wasn’t really working.

“... I guess tonight we can both be on the guard duty. Ok. No biggie.” Claude was trying to keep himself optimistic through all of this; he understands the situation and the toll it takes on a person. He himself was trying his best to keep level-headed and pragmatic. But seeing Dimitri like this, out of himself, murmuring stuff to the nothing beyond their campfire… Dimitri didn’t even react to what Claude just said!

Claude tried to calm down, distract himself with their improvised distillation method done with their jackets and some stuff they found on the shore. There was no time to search for food before the sun went down, so with what little time they got they put together something that could barely be called a place to rest. But it was _progress_. The next day they’ll get a rescue fire and message set, and get some food and water to survive until they got out of there. Yep, everything was sailing smoothly…

… up until that new shipwreck came in the form of Dimitri walking towards the sea in a sure way to get to wherever the things that haunted him were.

“Whoa, whoa! What are you doing, buddy?! We just came from that way, there’s nothing else there--not right now, okay??” Claude jumped right away to stop him, keeping his smile and jokes ready, though he had to use his whole body to keep Dimitri from moving another inch towards the sea. What gives! They were just saved from a shipwreck!

For a moment there was no reaction from the blond. Then, with tardiness, Dimitri reacted to the obstruction in his way, looking at Claude with raw anguish.

“Why Claude…?” his voice was just above a whisper, and even though he kept as an immovable wall against Claude, he never raised his force against the other “As a Captain, I failed my crew… And now, they’re calling to me, to redeem myself. I must go--”

“No. Stop.” Claude raised his voice, his hands gripping tightly on Dimitri’s arms; it was a tone of voice different from his usual laidback attitude, the green eyes looking back at the now darkened blue of Dimitri were dim with fear that Claude only dared to show to his own reflection. That stark change managed to startle Dimitri, even if just for a little.

“Your crew is alive, Dimitri. _You_ put them to safety yourself. I was there.” he tried to be reassuring but his patience was running thin. At least he finally got Dimitri to pay real attention to him, like having the mental fog he got the instant he awoke being removed, at least partially.

“Your crew wouldn’t want you to run yourself into the ocean. They would want you to keep yourself here, alive, waiting for them to rescue you.” It was beginning to turn into a lecture from Claude (and he’s usually the one that receives them). “You know what to do now, right?” he started coaxing Dimitri back to their campfire, and it surprisingly was easier than he expected, especially coming from a man taller and stronger than he was.

Maybe it was the exhaustion that got him malleable like that, it didn’t matter at the moment, not when Dimitri still got his eyes dead-set on unseen shadows in the night. Claude only had to make sure Dimitri doesn’t try that stunt again while they’re there, and it’ll be fine. Even if got him no rest for the night, for it was an _investment_ for his survival. Nothing more.

In the end, the only time they both got to rest was when the sun broke the day.


End file.
